A Most breefe, easie and plaine receite for faire writing.

Wherin the Author being well ac­quainted with the causes, which in these daies hinders it, hath for the good of his Cun­trie, so distinguished and broken euery perticular letter for the true making thereof, and so perfect­ly and plainely shewed the ready way of true ioyning the same.

Both for the Roman and Se­cretary handes, as any one of ordinarye yeres and capacity, not hindring any other bu­sines, may at his idle times by his own priuate prac­tise, in short time attaine to write, to serue ve­ry good vses either in office or otherwise.

AT LONDON Printed by E. A. for Iohn Perin, and are to be solde in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Angell.

To the right Worshipfull my sin­guler good Maister, M. Thomas Powle Esquire, one of the sixe Clarkes of her Maie­sties most honourable Courte of Chauncery. W. P. wisheth all happines with increase of spirituall blessinges in the greatest measure.

RIght worshipfull I haue here vndertaken a woorke, how profitable, I referre to the euent. And for that I had no better meanes then this to manifest my duetie I haue presumed to make your W. the patrone of my trauell: wherein if you shalbe plea­sed to allow me your ordinarie fauour, it will be of force sufficient not onelye to defend me from the greatest aduersarie, but also to arme and encourage me to a worke of better effect. Thus as I haue pre­sumed to commit vnto your W. this my first croppe, so will I in my best exercises commend all your actions to be gouerned by the Lord.

Your W. most bounden seruant in the highest de­gree of his duetie. W. Pank.

To the Reader.

GEntle Reader, in respect that many would willinglye attayne the perfection of writing, and cannot, either for that their a­biding is too farre off, or helde backe by occasion of busines or otherwise (which is most like,Such as teach by great.) that some newlye sprong in that knowledge, haue rated it so high as the greater sort that would, cannot, by reason of the price, and other better able for the same cause will not. This Author hath deuised such plain, easie, & exact, rules for faire writing,Though they ne­uer handled pen. as any one of ordinary yeeres and capa­citie, (much more they of greater iudgement) not subiect to impediment, may in a short space, at idle times not hin­dring their other busines, and by their owne priuate prac­tice attain, to write both the secretary, and roman hand, to serue very good vses either in office or otherwise.

And to the end, that he would auoide all occasions that might hinder his honest meaning in this his profita­ble woorke: he promiseth to such as shall buye his booke, that whatsoeuer either in the same, or otherwise be­longing to writing shall seeme hard, that he will gra­tis shew it them by woord of mouth, if they repaire vnto him. Vltimo Septembris. 1591.

Quod ignoras, ne doceas. W. Panke.

First I haue thought good to begin with the breaking of eue­ry perticular letter.

a FOr your [...] the plainest and easiest waye is yt you make the first parte round thus [...] (for to make it otherwise will seeme hard to a learner) then, from the vttermost parte therof, towards your right hand, make a small stroke thus [...] which doone, set on your pen where you fastned your last stroak, and from thence draw down a straight stroake no lower then your firste compasse thus. [...]

b your [...] is thus made. First make a slope stroak thus [...] at the vpper end wherof set your pen, and turning it ouer a little towardes your lefte hand thus [...] bring it straight downe so far as your lyne that you writ vpon thus [...] which doone, set your pen a little behinde the end therof thus [...] and brin­ging it straight forward thus [...] then turne it vp round in this manner [...]

c Your [...] is easily made with a straight stroake thus [...] which done, set your pen on the toppe of it, and with the edge as small as you can drawe a stroke from your right hand forward, halfe so long as your first straight stroke thus [...]

d Your [...] is made with the halfe of the first parte of your [...] thus [...] which done, make a straight slope [Page] stroake ioyning to the highest parte of your former compasse thus [...] and so at once close him round, so as it may still kéep his compasse as an [...] thus [...]

e For your [...] make your first parte of the [...] thus [...] which done, ioyne to the head of it another like compasse, halfe as big as the first thus [...]

f For your [...] the plainest and easiest way for a learner, is to make it as you made the first part of your [...] thus [...] and then strike the same stroake somewhat longer thus [...]

g Your [...] is made with the first stroke of your [...] thus [...] turned round at the foot iust as high as the first stroak thus [...] which done, set your pen where you last tooke it off, and drawing it downe as lowe as ye head of your [...] is long thus [...] turn it quick­ly with the edge of your pen towardes your lefte hand thus [...] and close it at the head in the same manner and with the same stroake as you made your [...] thus [...]

h Your [...] is made with the first part of your [...] thus [...] which done, set your pen in the lowest part of it, and with the edge of your pen make a very small stroke, and carrie it slope a little way thus [...] which done, turne it round thus [...] and in the tur­ning it from the end of the compasse, drawe a slope stroke towards your left hand néere the length of the body thus [...] then set your pen at the end therof and turne it vp round lightlye towardes the bellye with a reasonable compasse thus [...]

i Your [...] is easily made, for it is simply the firste parte of your [...] or the last stroke of your [...]

k Your [...] is made with the first parte of your [...] thus [...] with the same foot that your [...] is before it is turnde round thus [...] then make a small compas which is the eye, as neere the middest as you can thus [...] and in the middest iust between the eye and the foote make a stroke through thus [...]

l Your [...] is likewise easily made, for it is onelye the first part of your [...] thus [...]

m Your [...] is made with the first part of your [...] thus [...] then set your pen at the foote of the same stroke and carrie vp your hand a slope from the foot to the head with the edge of your pen thus [...] thē from the toppe of the same stroke bring downe such another stroke as your firste and no lower, thus [...] then from the foote of the second straight stroake, carrie vp another slope stroake as you did before: and so from the head of that slope stroake bring downe a third straight stroake thus [...] and your [...] is made.

n Your [...] I néed not stand vpon, for it is the two first straight strokes of your [...] thus [...]

o Your [...] is simple the first part of your [...] thus [...]

p Your [...] is made with the first part of your [...] or [...] sauing that it must be somewhat slope towardes the right hand, and turning backe a very little to­wards the lefte hand thus [...] then at the foote therof and a little behinde it set your pen and make the same compasse as you did to the belly of your [...] thus [...] then setting your pen where you tooke it of last and make a straight stroke as low as the first part of your [...] is long, thus [...]

q Your [...] is simplie your [...] sauing that you must bring down the first stroke of your [...] as far below the proportion of your [...] as your [...] is long, thus [...]

r Your [...] is easily made also, for if you mark it it is but the firste parte of your [...] thus [...] then set­ting your pen iust in the middest of the lowest flat stroke thus [...] carry vp your hand directlye as high and no higher then your first stroke, and with­all with the edge of your pen at the top of the same stroke, strike the like small stroke as you did to the head of your [...] thus [...]

ſ Your [...] which we call the long [...] is best made as you make your [...] (till you be more perfect) ex­cept that the lowest parte of the head must be som­what further off from the body of it thus [...]

s Your [...] which we call the round or little [...] is easiest made with your [...] thus [...] at the highest part wherof toward your right hand set your pen and drawe a little slope stroake thus [...] which turned backeward a verye little towardes the lefte hand makes your [...]

t Your [...] is a straight full stroake, sauing that the toppe of it is somewhat slope thus [...] and the stroke thorough the same must you make no néerer nor higher from the foot of it then that between the same stroke and the foot you may easily make an [...] thus [...]

v Your [...] is alredy shewed you, for it is the first whole parte of your [...] thus [...]

w Your [...] is likewise your [...] sauing that the last part is your single [...] or the head of your [...] thus [...]

x Your [...] is made with a slope stroke thus [...] tur­ned vp round from the foot to the head thus [...] then setting your pen where you last took it off, compasse it round to your right hand thus [...]

y your [...] is very easie, for it is but the first part of your [...] thus [...] with the taile of your [...] ioyned to it thus. [...]

NOw that I haue shewed you the breaking and making of euery perticular letter in the crosse rowe, it is as necessary to shewe you how to ioyne and set them in their order.

Firste you must speciallye marke how many of your letters haue whites or compasses.

And euery one of them in wordes as they fall out, must you as néere as you can make of like bignes, as for example [...] and your blackes which is al the strokes in euery letter also: must be of like fulnes as néere as you can: yet for your [...] and [...] it is tollerable that you make them fuller then the rest.

All the letters in the crosse row excep­ting [...] are to be ioyned to the foote of them thus [...]

There is no other letters to be ioyned but these that follow, and they must be ioyned thus [...] all the rest must stand as close as they that ioyne, as thus [...] &c. sauing the [...] which you may ioyne thus [...]

Must you ioyne all your letters alike as [...] and as you thus ioyne your [...] to [Page] euery of these perticular letters, so must you doo also all your other letters, excepting [...] which you may closely set by thus [...]

All your letters must stand close [...] not ioyning to the belly, as [...] &c. I set no more ex­amples for that these letters are in effect the begin­nings to all the rest of the letters in the crosse row.

It is sufficient that you set the vsuall letters that followes it in this manner [...] for you shal ne­uer haue any other letter follow [...] besides [...]

You must set euery letter that followes it, as néere to the bodye of it, as the rest of your letters stand one from another thus [...] you must set all the letters thus [...]

FOr the setting of your woordes, the distance of them is vsuallye knowne: viz. betwéene euerye woord the space of an [...] and as you keepe equall di­stance betwéene your woordes, the like care must you haue for your letters, that they stand not one wider or closer, or one higher or lower then ano­ther.

For the Roman hand.

The Distinguishing of Letters.

TO learne to make your letters spéedily.

First especiallye marke how many letters are made after one fashion, by noting whereof you shall very easilye attaine to the making of al your letters, as for example. Make the halfe of a com­passe somewhat longer then your secretary [...] thus [...] which makes the [...]

The next is a slope stroke towardes your left hand thus [...] which is the first part of your [...] where­by you shall make your [...]

The next is this little stroke somewhat slope, and a little longer then your secretary [...] thus [...] which is a letter of it selfe called [...] whereby you make [...] and by drawing it somewhat longer thus [...] makes your [...] with the first stroke of your [...] turned backward thus [...]

The little [...] hauing their proportion of themselues. I will shew how to make them af­terward in the true making of letters.

Now that I haue thus distinguished euery letter, I will likewise shew you how euery letter is made by himselfe.

The making of the Letters.

a THe [...] is made with his first compas as before thus [...] which done, set your pen on the highest parte thereof where you firste began it, and from thence draw downe a stroke like vnto your [...] as lowe and no lower then your first compas thus [...]

b The [...] is made with the firste stroke as before thus [...] which done, set your pen iust aboue the foot as high as you meane to make the rest of your let­ters in deapth thus [...] and so carrying it round as I shewed you in the head of your [...] close him iust in the foot as round as you can thus [...]

c The [...] is simplie your first part of your [...] thus [...] sauing that at the head you must make it some­what full thus [...]

d The [...] is also your [...] and till you grow some­what perfect, when you should make a [...] make an [...] and then to the highest corner ioyne cleanly the first part of your [...] thus [...]

e The [...] is also your [...] turned in a little at the head thus [...]

The [...] is also the first part of your [...] being iust in the middest turned backward like the foote of your [...] thus [...]

g The [...] is also your [...] being brought downe a little way with a slope stroke thus [...] then carrye your pen with a small stroke somewhat compasse toward your left hand thus [...] and from thence car­ry him with another slope stroake back towardes [Page] your right hand and vp to the head of your [...] thus [...]

h The [...] is made as your [...] sauing that you must leaue it open onely at the foot thus [...]

i The [...] is made before [...]

k The [...] is made with the first stroke of your [...] thus [...] then as high from the foote of the stroke as the top of the bellye of your [...] or [...] make a little eye thus [...] at the lowest end whereof set your pen and make a slope stroke no lower then the foote of the first stroke thus [...]

l The [...] is onely the first part of your [...] thus [...]

m n The [...] and [...] is thus made, first with your then from the middest thereof make a small slope stroke with the edge of your pen as high & no high­er then your first stroke thus [...] that done, set your pen at the top of that last small stroke and make a­nother little stroke as your first no lower then the same, nor wider nor closer at head then at foot thus [...] and so for the third stroke doo in all respectes as you did for the second thus [...]

o The [...] is easily made for it is but the first part of your [...] turned round to the head thus [...]

p The [...] is onely the latter halfe of your [...] thus [...] with the belly of your [...] thus [...]

q The [...] is onlye your [...] sauing that your must make the last part of it somewhat longer thus [...]

r The [...] is onely the first part of your [...] thus [...]

s The little [...] hath his proportion of himselfe and the easiest way for a learner is to make a litle com­passe thus small [...] and so to make the like backe­ward [Page] ioyning to the bottom of the first thus [...]

t The [...] is simplie your [...] sauing that it must be a little longer vpward thus [...]

u The single [...] is but two strokes like your [...] ioyned together at the foote, and one no higher nor lower then another nor wider at head then at foote thus [...]

v This [...] is also a single [...] and it is thus made. First make such a stroke as this [...] then set your pen at the ende thereof, and with the edge of your pen make a slope stroke vp towards your left hand thus [...] and so at once carry it compasse vp as high and no higher then your first stroke thus [...]

The [...] is onely two of those compasses ioyned together thus [...]

The [...] is made with the head of your [...] thus [...] and the first part of your [...] thus [...] ioyned together [...]

x TOuching the ioyning of this hand, I take it, that there is no necessitie therein, for it is most vsually written vnioyned & commendable. Ther­fore in my opinion when you haue attained the perfection of the letter, if you will obserue but a reaso­nable distance in the setting of your letters & like­wise in your words you shal finde it more easie and best. For ioyning of the letters wilbe (in a learner) a cause of close writing, which in a Roman hand is not tollerable.

FINIS.

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